Train-coupling



J. B. HOLLAND. mm COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, I9l9.

Patented Aug. 10,1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

J. B. HOLLAND.

TRAIN COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1919.

1,348,947. atented Aug. 10, 192%.

. 2 SHEETSSHEET 2- 4t 1 5. a a I 2 lmllmlm mm T 20 f .15 2o 5 5 lTlm I I A HORNE Y8 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TRAIN-COUPLING.

7 Application filed May 22, 1919. Serial No. 288,832.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Josnrrr B. HOLLAND, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Train-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in car couplings, and it consists in the construction, combinations and arrangements herein described and claimed.

in object of my invention is to provide a car vcoupling in which the brake and signal lines are operatively connected and combined in such a manner, that when two of the couplings are ioined, as between two connected cars, a fluid tight connection will be established at once, such connection remaining firm regardless of the relative movement of the coupling members.

' A further object of the invention is to provide a car coupling for the purpose described, of such construction that but a single casting is required, one coupling readily fitting against a companion coupling without the requirement of rights and lefts 7 Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of one of the improved car couplings,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing a pair of the couplings joined,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 3-8 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a detail cross section on the line 4.t of Fig. 3.

Attention is first directed to Fig. 1. Here the draw head 1, which can be of any desired type or construction, is shown to include laterally disposed air couplings generally indicated 2 and 3. For purposes of descrip tion, these are hereinafter referred to as the receiver 2 and contactor 3.

Both air couplings are suitably supported at the sides of the draw head. The base of the contactor 3 is cast integrally, but the base 4 of the receiver is separately mounted, ribs 5 of any desired formation constituting parts of the supporting structure as will presently appear.

Consider first Figs. 2, 3 and 4, wherein the construction of the receiver 2 is most clearly shown. The base 4 of the receiver has a pair of air passages 6 cast on the back. These terminate in outlets 7 which continue through the rubber facing S on the front of the base. While this facing is called rubber, obviously in actual practice any material that will be found more suitable to withstand the up and down sliding motion of a companion contactor 3 when the two couplings are joined, can be substituted.

An outwardly extending flange 9, following the periphery of the receiver base at, includes an inwardly extending flange 10. The facing 8 hasa peripheral groove 11 into which the peripheral flange 10 fits, and so the facing is firmly held in place on the base.

Included in the supporting ribs 5 of the movable receiver 2, are spring compartments 13 which almost completely house the compression springs 14. These springs bear against the ends of the compartments and against bosses 12 on the back of the base i of the receiver.

The outward motion by virtue of the tension of these springs is limited by a pin 15 in the extension 16 of each compartment, which occupies a slot 17 in a guide bolt 18. The guide bolt in each case is firmly fitted in the companion boss 12, so that the bolts are virtually parts of the receiver base.

It is necessary however to provide means in addition to these bolts, for guiding and supporting the receiver base. This means consists of a plurality of ears 19 extending rearwardly from the base 4.. These ears engage portions 20 of the solid casting structure and remain in such engagement during all movement of the receiver 2.

Consider now the construction of the contactor 3. This comprises a plain metallic plate with air passages 21 on the back, terminating in air outlets 22 on the front. It is to be observed in Fig. 1 that the air outlets 22 are considerably smaller than are the outlets 7 on the other side. When the cou= plings are contacted, the large outlets fit over the small outlets which maintain air connections even though there should be considerable relative vertical movement between the couplings.

The air passages 20 merge into a head 23 at the bottom. Various air pipes are connected to this head. The connections 24 and 25 lead across and join the res ective passages 6 of the air coupling 2. ne of these Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

connections is the signal line, while the other is the brake line.

The two broken 'connections at the right in Fig. 1 constitute continuations of these lines, which lead throughout the length of the train. It is of course understood'that the head 23 is divided centrally so that the tWo lines are separate. In operation one coupling 1s made to abut a similar coupling on a car which Is to be made a part of the train. As already pointed out, it'is unnecessary to provide separate castings for the couplings at the respective ends of a car, because one coupling fits perfectly against the other and is intended to cooperate therewith.

VVhen the coupling knuckles (not shown in the drawings) lock the draw heads together, the connections between the various contactors and receivers will be firmly estabhshed. The compression springs 14 maintam a t1ght connectlon, the resilient facing 8 keeping the air from leaking out of the air outlets.

I claim p 1. A car coupling, comprising a drawhead with laterally carried air line connecting means,jincluding a vertically fiat integral contactor with air passages and outlets, at one side; a relatively movable vertically flat receiver on the other side, including air passages with outlets; a plurality of supportestablishing an airline when the'drawheads are in operation.

2.. A draw head, including an integral casting at one side, with a plurality of compartments and guide means; air coupling means operatively associated with said casting, comprising a movable receiver base with receiver base axially movable with respect to the compartments, including limiting means extending into operative engagement with portions of the compartments, resilient means normally urging the receiver base to the outward limit, and base carried guide means cooperating with the aforesaid guide means to keep the movement of the base in the axial plane of said compartments.

4-. A car coupling comprising a draw head, an integral plane packing-i'aced con tactor with air passages and outlets, at one side; a movable plane packing-faced contactor on the other side, with air passages and outlets; guide means including rib-supported portions on the head, with spring cylinders, and parallel ears on the movable contactor engaging portions; slot ended guide bolts in bosses on said contactor in slidable pin connection'with extensions of said cylinders, and bolt-surrounding springs housed in the cylinders pushing on said contactor.

JOSEPH B. HOLLAND. 

